Interested in attending Summer Institute 2026?
If you’re new to your role, hoping to excel in a recent promotion, or interested in further exploring leadership within your school or department, our Summer Institute workshops are for you! Sign up for our interest list and be notified when registration is open for our 2026 workshops!
Empowered to Excel
Participants joined us in Philadelphia, PA, to develop effective strategies, take home tangible resources, and network with their peers and colleagues. There was an offering for everyone from Board members to School Heads, Business and Advancement Officers divisions, and academic leaders. Summer Institute, unlike larger conferences, is designed for a maximum of 24 participants in each workshop, providing hands-on learning experiences on each specific topic.
Here's a quick recap of Summer Institute 2025. You can also see photos from the event on our Facebook page.
Attendee Snapshot
School Memberships
Curious about the workshops we offer?
These were 2025’s Summer Institute workshops. Stay tuned for next year’s lineup!
Learn how to bolster your leadership capabilities, sharpen your communications skills, manage your team with confidence, and support your school’s long-term goals.
Learn how you can become an even better leader in your school as you assist your School Head.
Join us to reexamine your learning support offerings and explore what’s new in recommended success strategies.
Turn your lower school division into an exceptional environment that provides a stable, student-centered learning community through ISM’s research-based strategies.
Create an experiential and practical middle school roadmap to support your school’s mission and culture, engage faculty and staff, and enrich the student experience.
Explore your personal leadership style while analyzing and reflecting on strategies for evaluating upper school faculty, navigating school change, promoting a healthy school culture, and designing an up-to-date schedule.
Discover how to build an effective admission process that attracts and enrolls mission-appropriate students and supports applicants.
Understanding the components of an effective development operation—and how those components interface with your school’s strategic priorities—is critical to your success as a Development Officer.
Become a great middle school leader. Support your school’s mission and culture, engage your faculty and staff, and enrich the student experience.
Manage every aspect of your ever-growing role as an upper school Dean of Students. Fulfill your responsibilities with confidence, keeping students first in everything you do.
Excel as a strategic business leader, whether you’re new to the profession, starting in independent schools for the first time, or a seasoned professional.
Discover how to manage the nuances and demands of school headship.
Learn how to excel as a Marketing Communications Director by combining foundational, practical topics with efficient marketing communications procedures.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR PRIVATE SCHOOL LEADERS
Explore ISM’s professional development events.
Develop new skills, gain confidence in your role, and lead with clarity. Be mentored by leaders who are experts in their field, many currently working in private schools today. Get hands-on experience, network with fellow school leaders, and walk away with an action plan you can use the minute you return to campus.
See All Events
To see all other events by position/event type reset your search
Human-Centered AI: Strategies for Communicating About AI at Your School
Date(s): 10/14/2025 ● Status: Open
Effectively navigate diverse community perspectives, including skepticism, and determine the best communication strategies to frame AI.
$225.00
General & Silver
$180.00 Gold
$180.00 3+ Person
Five Things Heads Need to Know to Avoid Costly Survey Mistakes
Date(s): 10/15/2025 ● Time: 12:00pm ET ● Status: Open
Learn how to avoid common survey pitfalls and capture feedback that truly matters.
$0.00
For all members & General
Smart Scheduling Strategies to Boost Student and Faculty Success
Date(s): 10/16/2025 ● Time: 3:00pm ET ● Status: Open
Get a headstart on next year’s schedule with tips and tricks to design it right the first time.
$0.00
For all members & General
Human-Centered AI: AI-driven Solutions to Preserve Connection and Belonging
Date(s): 10/21/2025 ● Status: Open
Explore how AI can be leveraged to enhance the core human elements of an independent school education — not detract from them.
$225.00
General & Silver
$180.00 Gold
$180.00 3+ Person
From Posts to Purpose: Build Your School’s Strategic Social Media Content Plan
Date(s): 10/22/2025 ● Time: 3:00pm ET ● Status: Open
Learn how to move from “scattergy” to strategy with a clear, goal-driven content plan for your school’s social media.
$161.00
General
$0.00 For all members
The Pivotal Role of the Development Committee Chair
Date(s): 10/29/2025 ● Time: 3:00pm ET ● Status: Open
Explore how the development committee chair ensures philanthropy is purposeful, donor-centered, and aligned with your school’s long-term goals.
$161.00
General
$0.00 For all members
Before You Make the 2026–27 Tuition Decision: State Your Case With Confidence
Date(s): 11/4/2025 ● Time: 3:00pm ET ● Status: Open
Make next year’s tuition decision with clarity, confidence, and community alignment.
$161.00
General
$0.00 For all members
Planning for Your Next Annual Giving Season Starts Now
Date(s): 11/5/2025 ● Time: 3:00pm ET ● Status: Open
In the middle of your current annual fund? Well, NOW is the time to start planning for next year!
$161.00
General
$0.00 For all members
Stability Markers 6.0: A Fresh Framework for School Health & Sustainability
Date(s): 11/12/2025 ● Time: 3:00pm ET ● Status: Open
Learn how version 6 of the ISM Stability Markers helps school leaders identify strengths, address vulnerabilities, and apply research-driven insights to guide strategic planning and long-term sustainability.
$0.00
For all members & General
Cultivating Flourishing: Strategies for Enhancing Well-Being in Your School
Date(s): 11/18/2025 ● Status: Open
Learn how private-independent school leaders can cultivate psychological well-being across their school communities.
$810.00
General & Silver
$640.00 Gold
$600.00 3+ Person
Beyond the Chatbot: AI Use Cases to Build Schoolwide AI Literacy
Date(s): 11/18/2025 ● Time: 12:00pm ET ● Status: Open
Gain concrete ideas and a conceptual map to bring machine learning, embedded AI, and embodied systems into your school ecosystem in responsible, literacy-building ways.
$161.00
General
$0.00 For all members
Navigating Neurodiversity: What Admission Pros Need to Know
Date(s): 12/2/2025 ● Status: Open
Acquire tools to navigate the rise in neurodiverse applicants and lead mission-focused conversations with academic leaders about who your school can best serve.
$300.00
General & Silver
$240.00 Gold
$200.00 3+ Person